The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, presenting the public symposium Unbroken Chain: the Grateful Dead in Music, Culture, and Memory November 16th through 18th with scholars, artists, performers, students and members of the extended Grateful Dead family. The symposium will feature more than 50 presenters including Dennis McNally, Dan Healy, Carolyn Garcia, and David Gans, plus musical performances by the American Beauty Project and Dark Star Orchestra and exhibits of artwork and photographs by Jerry Garcia and others. More information and tickets are available at www.umassconnections.com.

Island Girl Records, presenting the release of Postcards from the Road Volume 1, a new live album by keyboardist, guitarist and singer/songwriter Aaron Ferguson. Recorded live in Philadelphia, this 7-track CD features Aaron’s traditional acoustic songwriting and includes several extended experimental jams.

After a car accident takes the life of a devoted Deadhead, a father discovers the healing power of his son’s music

Story in the Baltimore Sun about a man who got into the Dead after his Deadhead son died an untimely death. Jonathan Pitts wrote it; Ed Branthaver is the subject; Dan Branthaver is the son who died too young.

We’ve added a special stop along the Rex Community Caravan of events – Saturday, December 15th, Warfield Theatre, San Francisco: The Music Never Stops – A Rex Foundation Black Tie-Dye Ball featuring Bob Weir and RatDog, Little Feat and The Waybacks. Tickets for the concert go on sale November 4th. You can order tickets now for the pre-concert reception with the artists that includes dinner, beverages and premium table seating, as well as the concert-only loge tickets by calling the Rex Foundation at 415-561-3135, downloading the special pre-sale order form, or contacting GDTS,TOO.

Excellent article (with input from yrs truly) in the recently web-revived version of the pioneering rock mag Crawdaddy!, about becoming a Deadhead in spite of one’s self, getting over the hippie-stigma aspect of it all, and coming to accept the GD as the proto-punk, proto-alt, proto-indie icons they are.

Congratulations to my friend and colleague Tim “Da Flower Punk” Lynch, who just started a live music show on KPIG-AM in San Francisco. The “Saturday Ham Jam” airs from 1:00 to 3:00 Pacific Time at 1510 on the AM dial in San Francisco.

Tim has been filling in for me on Dead to the World while I’m on the road, and will continue to do so (including this Wednesday and also Halloween night).

Congrats, Tim – it’s a great gig for you, and I was thrilled to be a guest on your seconod broadcast.

Part 1 28:36Grateful Dead 6/27/84 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MDESTIMATED PROPHET->
EYES OF THE WORLD->
WHY DON’T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD?

Part 2 27:49Grateful Dead 6/27/84 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MDDRUMS->
SPACEDonna the Buffalo, Life’s a RideROCK OF AGES
THESE ARE BETTER DAYS

Donna the Buffalo is one of my favorite bands, and I’m happy to say that I’ll be playing a Rex Benefit with DTB and another fine American band, Ollabelle, in New York City on Saturday, November 17. See the story on DeadNet, “Roots, Rock, Rex.”

Support for the Grateful Dead Hour comes this week from:

U Mass Amherst, presenting the public symposium ‘Unbroken Chain: the Grateful Dead in Music, Culture, and Memory‘ November 16-18 with scholars, artists, performers, students and members of the extended Grateful Dead family gathering for the event – more than 50 presenters including Dennis McNally, Dan Healy, Carolyn Garcia, and David Gans. Also featured will be musical performances by the American Beauty Project and Dark Star Orchestra, as well as exhibits of artwork and photographs by Jerry Garcia and others. More information and tickets are available at www.umassconnections.com.

Rock the Earth – environmentalists and music lovers working together and defending the planet, one beat at a time.

Omaha – Moby Grape, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Number One – The Charlatans, from from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Fly to New York – Country Weather, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Amphetamine Gazelle – Mad River, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Can’t Come Down – The Warlocks (Grateful Dead), from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970I Don’t Ever Want to Spoil Your Party – Dino Valenti (unreleased)Codine – Quicksilver Messenger Service, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Dark Star – Grateful Dead (unreleased studio recording – alternate mix of the single)Born Cross-Eyed – Grateful Dead (unreleased studio recording – alternate mix of the single)Walking on the Water – The Golliwogs (later Creedence Clearwater Revival)It’s No Secret – Jefferson Airplane, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Now It’s Over – The Living ChildrenCrystalize Your Mind – Lee MichaelsYou Were on My Mind – We Five, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970I’m a Good Woman – The Generation, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Two Days ‘Til Tomorrow – The Beau Brummels, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Foolish Woman – The Oxford Circle, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Shadows – The VejtablesGlue – The Ace of Cups, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Mexico – Jefferson Airplane, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Section 43 – Country Joe and the Fish, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Down on Me (Live) – Big Brother and the Holding Company, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion) – Grateful Dead, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Cream Puff War – Grateful Dead, Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966Fat City – Sons of Champlin, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970Soul Sacrifice – Santana, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970America – Public Nuisance, from Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970

U Mass Amherst, presenting the public symposium Unbroken Chain: the Grateful Dead in Music, Culture and Memory November 16 – 18 with scholars, artists, performers, students and members of the extended Grateful Dead family gathering for the event and more than 50 presenters including Dennis McNally, Dan Healy, Carolyn Garcia, David Gans, and others. Also featured will be musical performances by the American Beauty Project and Dark Star Orchestra as well as exhibits of artwork and photographs by Jerry Garcia and others. More information and tickets are available at www.umassconnections.com.

Rock the Earth, environmentalists and music lovers working together and defending the planet, one beat at a time.

Mickey Hart is going to appear live in the Sirius studio on Monday, October 15 at 2pm Eastern. He’ll play some recent live Global Drum, and take some calls, too. The Grateful Dead Channel (32) on Sirius Satellite Radio.

From the Sirius web site:

Besides drumming with the Grateful Dead for nearly thirty years, Mickey Hart has always kept busy in the world music scene. His most recent venture, the Global Drum Project, explores rhythm and noise to create a whole new drum sound. Listen as Mickey visits SIRIUS along with bandmate Zakir Hussain to unveil a never-before-heard performance from the group. Theyâ€™ll be live in the SIRIUS Studios, and will be taking your calls during the show.
Rebroadcasts: Weds., Oct. 17th @ 3 pm ET; Thurs., Oct. 18th @ 10 am ET; Fri., Oct. 19th @ 12 am & 4 pm ET.

On November 16-18, 2007 UMass Amherst will host Unbroken Chain, the largest conference on the legacy of the Grateful Dead, and the first to be held by a major university.

Scholars, artists, performers, students and members of the extended Grateful Dead family will gather for the event featuring more than 50 presenters for 20 panel sessions ranging from music composition and improvisation to an examination of the bandâ€™s business model â€“ as well as a musical performances, gallery exhibits, and presentations. Attendance is limited to 500.

Phone interview with Michael Grabscheid, organizer of Unbroken Chain: The Grateful Dead in Music, Culture, and Memory – a symposium to be held November 16-18 at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Presenters will include Mountain Girl, Dennis McNally, Dan Healy, Bob Bralove, David Gans, David Lemieux, and many more. American Beauty Project performs Friday night, Dark Star Orchestra and Friends Saturday night. (AUDIO OF THE INTERVIEW)

From the web site:

On November 16-18, 2007 UMass Amherst will host Unbroken Chain, the largest conference on the legacy of the Grateful Dead, and the first to be held by a major university.

Scholars, artists, performers, students and members of the extended Grateful Dead family will gather for the event featuring more than 50 presenters for 20 panel sessions ranging from music composition and improvisation to an examination of the bandâ€™s business model â€“ as well as a musical performances, gallery exhibits, and presentations. Attendance is limited to 500.

Rob Koritz talks about DSO’s Rex Caravan Tour. Musicians from coast to coast are doing shows to benefit the Rex Foundation’s good works in the world. (I’m one of them: on November 17, I’ll be at the Highline Ballroom in NYC with Donna the Buffalo and Ollabelle). More Rex Musical Caravan shows here.

Support for the Grateful Dead Hour comes this week from the Echo Project, happening outside of Atlanta, Georgia October 12-14 and featuring three nights of camping and music from Phil Lesh & Friends, The Flaming Lips, moe., Umphrey’s McGee, The Disco Biscuits, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Tea Leaf Green, and dozens of others.